Beer sales down 11% in first half of year on shifting consumer behavior

Romanian beer sales dropped by 11 percent in the first half of the year, compared to the same interval in 2009, to about eight million hectoliters, according to the Romanian Brewers association. The member companies of the association, beer producers Bergenbier, Heineken Romania, Romaqua Group, United Romanian Breweries and Ursus Breweries sold 7.4 million hectoliters of beer in the first six months of 2010, down 11 percent compared to 2009, when 8.3 million hectoliters of beer were sold. The economic crisis, as well as weather conditions in the first half of the year also contributed to a decrease in beer sales. The Romanian beer market was down 13 percent last year, reaching the same level in 2006, namely 17.6 million hectoliters. Mediafax